


Daughter of Aphrodite

by koiffish



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Camp Half-Blood, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-03-13 14:02:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13572075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koiffish/pseuds/koiffish
Summary: The vision of what the future (might) bring - the future that Nico is willing to fight against til the last of her breath.“Please don’t, Karolina, no… wake up, please…” Nico could see herself sobbing over Karolina’s body; the blonde was lying on the dry ground, unmoving, eyes glassy and lifeless. The dark stain of blood on her shirt was rapidly spreading over her chest and stomach. She was so pale, and so beautiful.Impossibly beautiful.Nico could hear the cries and screams and uproars of the battle happening around them, she could smell the blood and the smoke, could taste death on her lips, could feel the fury in the air.No.Karolina. I beg you. Don’t leave me.





	1. Daughter of Aphrodite

**Author's Note:**

> I just threw in a bunch of random names in there. Sorry.

Left-right, left-right, left-

“Ugh!”

Karolina tripped on her own foot while marching in full armor and dragging a ridiculously large sword. The ones walking behind her all stumbled down like a stack of dominoes, thrown off by the sudden halt of momentum.

“Children of Aphrodite!”

Their commanding officer from Cabin 7 frowned in disapproval at the disorderly scene.

“Get up, weaklings! You move like you haven’t eaten anything from breakfast!”

Karolina licked her dry lips. She’s certain that they’ll be dehydrated if they stay out in the open for a few more minutes.

It was a hot day, boo.

The burning ball of fire overhead relentlessly showered them with uv rays. Their exposed skin sizzled like barbeques on a blazing grill. It was the consequence for losing at Capture the Flag, the overall champions get to do anything they want to the losing teams for a day.

The Apollo cabin had the honor of selecting the penalty for Cabin 10 and the god of poetry kids favored ‘training the weak’ treatment.

The people who were the least inclined to participate in bloody battles had to wear heavy steel armors, equally heavy steel weapons, and trot all day in the field until someone drop dead. Figuratively.

“March!” the officer ordered.

“I’m super tempted to use charmspeak on this bastard and tell him to jump in to the lake naked,” Vanessa whispered to Karolina, wiping the perspiration glistening on her perfect brow.

Karolina smiled at the image of the threat. Her siblings – or rather half-siblings – all groaned painfully as they got up, picking their weapons and shields from the ground.

“Why couldn’t we have dressed lightly and had bows instead of spears?” Julie, Karolina’s bestfriend-sister helped her to stand up.

Zendaya, the head counselor of the Aphrodite cabin shook her head in dismay as she urged the group to continue marching.

“I’ve tried negotiating about the bows, but gods, no one could find a single damn bow in the armory. I’m guessing that the Apollo kids hid them. Just out of spite, of course.”

Karolina threw a quick glance at a bunch of Apollo girls who were gossiping under a tree in the distant, apparently snickering about something they find really hilarious. In their midst sat Nico Minoru, the acting head counselor for the Sun god (Will Solace was visiting Camp Jupiter together with Piper Mclean).

About a month ago, someone from Karolina’s cabin played a prank on one of the Apollo girls – there was a constant stream of flowers raining on her from a small cloud above her head that would follow her wherever she goes.

The camp thought it was really funny, except for the cabin where she came from.

Chiron ultimately put a stop to it when the Apollo girl issued a formal complaint, accompanied by Nico who demanded a full-blown punishment for the culprit.

And since no one from the Aphrodite campers admitted the prank as their own doing, the whole lot was grounded. They were in the kitchen duty for a week.

But that only started a bad rivalry between the two cabins. They’ve spent every waking moments trying to get even with each other, even until now.

+

“I think I’m gonna pass out,” Julie wheezed as she limped to her bunk, shedding the extra layer of clothes that they had to wear, leaving a trail of leather and chainmail on the floor.

“I’ll need ambrosia. I don’t think I’ll be able to walk tomorrow,” Vanessa stumbled on her bed, strands of hair clung to her face. “Honestly, I feel like I’ve broken a bone.”

Karolina first helped the younger kids out of their armors and strappings, then retired to her own space, almost carelessly fainting on the sheets.

“Anyone wanna go to the infirmary?” she murmured to her companions, voice muffled by the pillow.

“Yes if you agree to carry me,” Julie replied, eyes closed. “My feet just died or something.” “I think my tan lines will last a year,” cried another one from the opposite side of the room. Karolina would have laughed at that complaint, except that everything hurts when she moved.

Zendaya came in shortly with a tray full of tiny shot glasses filled with golden liquid.

“I had to call in a few favors for this,” the head counselor told them while serving the concoction. “Better appreciate it.”

Vanessa accepted a glass and experimentally sniffed the liquid in her hand. “What’s this, nectar?”

Zendaya nodded, passing the tray to the boys. “Nectar and some other things. Don’t ask, just drink.”

Karolina shut her eyes and swallowed the golden brew in one gulp. It tasted vaguely like honey and lemon. She can feel it sweeping down her throat, warm and syrupy.

When it settled on her stomach, the warmth spread throughout her whole body, easing most of the aching parts and the sunburnt skin in an instant. She felt refreshed as well.

“Wow,” Julie breathed, staring at Zendaya as if she was a goddess herself. “I feel so much better.”

The Aphrodite campers chorused their thanks to the head counselor. Zendaya smiled modestly, and waved her hand like it was nothing.

“Aw, it’s okay. It’s my job anyway.”

Karolina grinned to her appreciatively, Zendaya winked back.

As much as the whole Camp Half-Blood would like to think otherwise, their cabin wasn’t as shallow as they seemed to be. It’s just that they’re not as competitive or athletic as the others, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t fight back when the need arises.

“Now that our sentence is done,” Zendaya put her game face on, all stern and serious as she rounded Karolina, Julie, and Vanessa. “We’ve got some planning to do.”

+

The rest of the day was more relaxing and uneventful. The whole Aphrodite cabin recuperated by lounging outside, styling each other’s hair and mingled with the other demigods.

The foursome opted to waste their free time near the edge of the strawberry fields, still working on their plan to overthrow the Apollo cabin.

Okay, maybe not overthrow but you get it.

“There’s an unwritten rule within the Apollo cabin regarding this whole rivalry thing,” Karolina said just out of the blue. “Never to have a fling, flirt, fraternize, or fornicate with the enemy.”

“Count on the Apollo children to come up with that kind of decree,” Julie remarked, shaking her head. “It either has to start with the same letter or has a rhyme.”

Karolina nodded, smirking a little. “Let’s hit them where it hurts.”

“Will and Piper’s gonna be back next week,” Vanessa informed them, receiving a text from Kai Amisa – one of their more resourceful cabinmates. “We need to do it before they come back or we’ll never get to do it.”

“Tonight?” Zendaya looked around them. They were sitting on a picnic blanket that Vanessa brought.

Karolina pulled thoughtfully on a grass beside her shoes. “I guess tonight is safe.”

Julie nodded her agreement.

“Tonight it is then,” Zendaya sighed, a little nervously.

“Let’s pray to the gods – except Apollo – that this plan work,” Julie muttered, both hands raised towards the horizon, as if blocking out the last rays of the setting sun.

“We do acknowledge that whatever happens, success or failure, we will be facing penalty, right?”

The other three girls nodded, though grimly.

Just then, the dinner bell rang.

“Let’s go,” Zendaya beckoned them, standing up. “It’s break or make time.”

+

Karolina quickly got in the line behind a Demeter girl for the offering after hastily taking her food from a passing hamadryad.

Vanessa tapped her shoulder. She was also holding a plate with a portion for burning.

“The target has not arrived yet,” she whispered urgently.

Karolina turned her head for a glimpse at the Apollo table, true enough, Nico wasn’t there.

Where is she?

“And here I thought that this plan was gonna go smooth as silk,” Vanessa huffed in disappointment.

Karolina shrugged her concern off. “It’s still early, maybe they’re caught up doing something.”

“What? Writing a song about how Apollo is great in everything?”

Karolina chuckled and took a step forward as the line moved.

“If that’s the case, I think it’ll create a rather interesting music. I’m sure Apollo would approve of it.”

Vanessa groaned and rolled her eyes. “These gods are so self-centered.”

Karolina just smiled as she burned an offering for Aphrodite - goddess of beauty and love, also known as her mother.

+

Zendaya nudged Karolina, discreetly pointing at Nico who was chatting with her cabinmates on the other side of the campfire. They didn’t notice her arrival.

They brought their heads together in an obvious manner that they’re plotting something unpleasant.

“Are we really sure about this?” Vanessa whispered over her orange juice.

Zendaya bit her lip in deep thought. If everything else fails, at risk is her very position. Though it’s a little bit too late to contemplate whether it’s worth it or not.

“Karolina’s our best bet, though,” Julie whispered back, her eyes silently encouraging the girl beside her.

Zendaya nodded. Karolina thus far has the best charmspeak ability in all of the Aphrodite children present at the camp. Piper obviously is the best out of all of them but she’s not here, which was just as well because they doubt it that they could proceed with this payback plan if the former head counselor had a whiff of it.

“Can you do it?” Vanessa asked Karolina.

Karolina stood up and wordlessly grabbed her unfinished plate of food. She’s going to burn a second offering for tonight, hoping that Aphrodite could spare her some guts to carry out the scheme.

She felt the stares of all the kids sitting at the designated Aphrodite table as she walked to the burning fire, counting every step.

Floral scent filled the air as she scraped the food out of her plate and in to the blaze, must be a sign that her immortal mom accepted the offering.

“Here we go…” Karolina whispered to herself, her heart drumming faster and faster. 

Heads turned at the Apollo table when Karolina timidly approached. Their defiant expressions clearly displayed that her presence was not welcomed.

“Excuse me, um, Nico is it?”

The dark-haired acting head counselor lifted a skeptical brow. “Yes?”

Karolina leaned closer to whisper in Nico’s ear, she didn’t want the whole Apollo cabin to hear the command, it would be disastrous if all of them do it.

Nico’s eyes went unfocused for a moment, and then she stood up, almost in trance. She followed Karolina to the center of the pavilion.

The whole Apollo table exchanged suspicious glances.

All eyes turned to them, the demigods stopped eating and gawked at the two girls standing in their midst. Everyone’s face was of mixed confusion aside from Zendaya, Vanessa, and Julie who were wearing expectant looks.

“Kiss me,” Karolina murmured, holding Nico’s gaze.

There was a collective gasp from the baffled audience as Nico stepped closer, clasped both hands around Karolina’s neck, reached up and kissed her softly, possessing her warm lips. She closed her eyes.

It was not unpleasant, Karolina had to admit. Even though the moment was part of the ploy and she knew she’s going to regret it much later.

The effect of the scene was instantaneous. The outraged Apollo cabin moved as one towards the couple while the Aphrodite children all jumped up from their seats to intercept the oncoming crowd of unhappy archers.

The Ares kids who were looking only too delighted to have an excuse for a fight also stood up. The Athena group, not to be outdone, followed suit. Meanwhile Cabin 11 was already betting for the outcome of the upcoming inter-camp war.

It was chaotic.

Mr. D hardly looked up from his food but Chiron frowned at the sight. However, before he could do anything, a visiting forest nymph who was standing by his side halted the clash before it even started.

Tangles of weeds and vines erupted from the broken ground and separated Nico and Karolina, flinging them back to their own siblings. Gigantic roots blocked Cabin 5’s way and the same happened to Athena’s cabin.

The whole camp hushed, even Cabin 11 quieted down.

“What is the meaning of this?” Chiron bellowed, arms folded across his muscled chest.

“Oh, they’re just kids. It happens,” Dionysus said offhandedly, scowling at his goblet full of diet coke.

Chiron ignored the Greek god of wine and stared pointedly at Karolina.

“Care to explain, Miss Dean?”

“S-sir, I-” Karolina stammered, suddenly embarrassed by the huge amount of attention she’s getting.

The whole camp was watching. Some were looking interested, others were puzzled, Cabin 7 looked disgusted, Cabin 10 looked worried. Niko’s expression was carefully blank.

Chiron gazed around and considered taking the matter to someplace with more privacy.

“Five campers from Apollo and Aphrodite, including the head counselors, follow me to the Big House. Counselors of all the other cabins, please keep the rest of the meal peaceful.”

+

The recreation room of the Big House was quickly filled with young demigods called to the council.

Karolina tried very hard not to meet Nico’s eyes. She figured it safe to stare down the floor while waiting for Chiron to settle down and start scolding.

“Would anyone like to tell me what exactly happened back there?” Chiron began.

“It’s them,” a kid from Apollo said, throwing a dirty look at the other cabin. “That girl used her charm speak on Nico.”

“We wouldn’t have done it if you guys didn’t try to murder us in the field earlier,” Julie retorted, throwing an equally dirty look.

“You lost in the game,” another girl pointed out. “It was a penalty.”

“Then explain to me why only the Aphrodite cabin had the pleasure of acquiring skin cancers in that field disguised as training?” Vanessa snarled venomously. “Cabin 4 was in our team and I didn’t see them doing anything as a penalty.”

They all started talking and arguing at once, blaming the other cabin for everything else nasty that happened before.

“Enough!” Chiron stamped his front hooves on the floor, startling the youngsters to instant silence.

“Is it true that you singled out Aphrodite’s cabin for the game penalty?” Chiron glared at the Apollo children.

They suddenly found the ceiling and the floors interesting.

“I’m asking you,” Chiron didn’t raise his voice but it was enough to intimidate all occupants of the room.

“We’re sorry,” Nico quietly offered an apology, her head bowed. “We didn’t mean harm.”

Chiron turned to the other side. “And while we don’t forbid those people with charmspeak ability to use or improve it, we agreed that it is a powerful skill and therefore should be used with caution. It is not for playing around.”

Karolina blushed with shame.

“I’m really sorry, it won’t happen again,” she whispered.

Chiron sighed, he suddenly seemed tired.

_Teenagers._

“You’ve been at each other’s throat for a while now,” he said. “Don’t think I didn’t take notice of that.”

Zendaya and Karolina traded cryptic looks.

“When the Apollo children all had pink hair for a day, I knew it was your doing.”

The statement was obviously directed to the Aphrodite kids.

Vanessa hid a grin, it was a good prank.

“And when the Aphrodite cabin got swarmed by bees, I knew who did it.”

Karolina got a glimpse of Nico suppressing a smile. So, it was them.

“Now, I want it to stop,” Chiron declared firmly. “Let bygones be bygones and start anew. We didn’t create this camp so you can play your little wars. We train you to work with each other in harmony for the real battles that we have to face, the obstacles that we need to triumph over. It is impossible to win them if we are not united.”

Zendaya spoke up. “A house divided against itself-”

“-cannot stand,” Nico finished.

Chiron smiled. “Exactly. Now, can we have that peace?”

Zendaya nodded, she faced Nico and offered a hand.

“Peace?”

Nico gripped her hand. “Peace.”

“And for your punishment,” Chiron added. “Both cabins will tend the strawberry field for two weeks. As much as a debate ensues, you’ll be sentenced to a much harder work.”

They all groaned.

+

After the treaty at the Big House which involved both cabins reaching some sort of mutual sympathy for each other, they were given a time to finish their dinner. And to attend the camp sing-along afterwards.

Already, several Aphrodite and Apollo girls were talking and giggling as they headed back to the pavilion.

_Teenagers, go figure._

Karolina stealthily moved away from the main group and strolled towards the edge of the lake. She wanted to be alone for a moment.

She was still deeply embarrassed of what happened earlier, and for sure that tonight’s event will be a topic for most talks tomorrow and the next days. She will be a celebrity for a week.

It didn’t help that her friends were being a little too friendly with the Apollo cabin, especially the acting head counselor, now that their dispute was over. Nico was eyeing her quite intently before and it was making her uncomfortable.

_Damn that girl._

The still waters of the lake rippled as she came near, probably water nymphs or mermaids.

Karolina sat on the grassy bank, inhaling the fresh breeze of the forest mixed with the cold mist coming from the lake.

The crescent moon overhead made a gorgeous reflection on the water below, adding to the general melancholic atmosphere.

It was simultaneously sad and beautiful.

She sat in silence for a while, absorbing the scene.

“You knew this was gonna happen,” Karolina muttered, partly to herself and partly to her mother.

A gentle wind caressed her face.

Karolina rolled her eyes. “You’re issuing apologies now? You should’ve warned me that I was being a fool, kissing that girl and whatnot.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” a voice said behind her.

Nico emerged from the dark, a studded leather jacket covering her shoulders.

“I mean, as far as girl kissing goes,” she shrugged.

Karolina wanted to scream in her face: _“It was my first kiss, you idiot!”_

“So, what are you doing here?” Nico slumped on the ground two feet away from her. “We’re already having a good time at the campfire sing-along.”

Karolina glared. “What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?”

“Whoa,” Nico raised both palms in mock surrender. “Watch the hostility, remember the peace agreement?”

_Damn it._

Karolina sighed, trying to be nicer. “Fine, I just wanted to be alone.”

“Your friends were worried so I volunteered to look for you,” Nico said, throwing a pebble on the water, it plopped and sunk out of sight.

“Why?”

“I figured you felt bad about using charmspeak on me,” Nico replied casually. “Not that I mind the kiss,” she continued, teasing.

Damn right, I feel bad. Karolina thought, glaring at her. Next time I’ll have you jump to the lake instead.

“Yeah, sorry,” she managed through gritted teeth. “But you know, I want to be alone?”

“Are you sure you don’t want my company?” Nico insisted, but still had that teasing tone. “I can be interesting sometimes.”

“Leave, and go back to the camp,” Karolina firmly spat, forcing her charmspeak. She can just apologize to Chiron about it later.

Nico just smiled at her, but got up and brushed her shorts.

“I’m sure you’re a very talented Aphrodite kid but sadly, I’m immune to charmspeaks. Something about my mixed ancestry or whatever. You know, I’m also a descendant of Hecate.”

Karolina was speechless in shock.

Then, what about the-

“What happened at dinner was purely voluntary,” Nico informed her, still grinning that sexy smile.

“I kissed you. I just hope you liked it.”


	2. Hecate's Legacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karolina wanted to prove that she's not just a pretty face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi Ez, are you reading this? :p

“Hey, hey, hey,”

Zendaya gently smacked Karolina’s shoulder. “We want to know if you finally won the staring contest against that coffee mug.”

“Huh?” the just-out-of-trance Karolina lifted her head and saw her half-sibs looking at her. They were having their breakfast at the pavilion the morning after their payback plan turned to a peace agreement. Though gods know that Karolina would rather hide under her bunk for a month than go outside after that little ‘incident’ involving a member of Cabin 7.

“Well?” Julie arched a brow, glanced around them, then lowered her voice. “Are you still upset about last night?”

“I mean, we will understand if you are,” Vanessa continued. “After all, you did _that_.”

“We all created the plan, she didn’t act alone.” Julie speared a piece of toast with her fork with a tad bit more hostility than necessary.

“And whatever happened last night, Chiron already told us to forget about it. It’s best we do,” Zendaya said, she then leaned closer to Karolina. “Walk with me after breakfast?”

Julie chewed on her toast noisily, deliberately annoying Vanessa. “Don’t take too long if you guys are going on an excursion, we have the strawberry fields to tend later.”

“Right, the strawberry fields,” Karolina groaned, putting her forehead on the table. She totally forgot about the punishment Chiron had given them, and the fact that they shared it with Apollo’s cabin.

_Great. Just great._

“We have ultra-strong sunscreens in stock, in case you guys are worried about sunburn,” Vanessa informed them, scrolling thru her inventory list. “But since we’re working with the children of Apollo – the god of sun, I wonder if any of them could make the sun, I don’t know, less burn-ish?”

“What?” Julie choked on her toast. “Do you really think Apollo would care if we get a sunburn or not?”

“How would I know? Why don’t we go ask his kids?” Vanessa huffed in irritation.

Zendaya sighed and picked up her plate, then took Karolina’s arm with her free hand. “Let’s go before these two start pelting each other with bread crumbs.”

“Don’t play with your food,” Karolina told the two who remained seated as she stood up with the head counselor.

“Don’t eat your playmate,” Julie called back, smirking conspiratorially.

“Depends on who the playmate is,” Vanessa giggled, then she and Julie fell to a laughing fit. Zendaya threw them a look which prompted the couple to instant silence, but as soon as they turned their backs, they started giggling again.

+

Zendaya and Karolina strolled down the beach, skipping the small waves and picked up colorful shell fragments. The water looked like it was covered in fine diamond dust the way it sparkled under the morning sun.

“You’ve been really quiet, I can tell there’s something bothering you,” the older girl broke the silence between them.

“Yeah, but…” Karolina muttered, hesitating.

“As the head counselor of Cabin 10, I’m ordering you to spill,” Zendaya told her jokingly but her eyes were serious.

Karolina sighed, still debating with herself if she wanted Zendaya to know the conversation she had with Nico by the lake. However, the girl might take it on herself to question Nico’s motives if she learned that the latter kissed Karolina on purpose.

“What do you know about Hecate?” Karolina asked instead.

“Hecate as in the goddess Hecate?”

Karolina nodded, “Yeah.”

“As far as I know – and I don’t know much about her – she’s the goddess of magic and witchcraft and ghosts and necromancy. She’s also a Titan so she’s powerful. Some of her kids in the camp can control the mist which is very handy. There’s also a rumor that some of her older children have made a witch coven of their own.”

“Hmmm,” Karolina nodded, absorbing the information. “What do you know about Legacies?”

“Legacies?”

“The descendants of gods and goddesses through their demigod children,” Karolina explained.

Zendaya looked thoughtful, she paused walking and let a tiny wave lapped her feet before walking again.

“All I know about being a Legacy is that sometimes they get the abilities of their demigod parents or ancestors,” she said, glancing at Karolina. “Why the sudden interest in Hecate and Legacies?”

“It’s just..” Karolina looked at Zendaya. “Have you ever wished you had a different mother?”

“You mean a different god as a parent?” she asked back, “Have you?”

Karolina shied away from Zendaya’s piercing stare. “Yeah, just now.”

“Why? Don’t you like being a daughter of Aphrodite?”

“It’s not that,” Karolina tried to think of how she will explain it without offending the head counselor. “It’s just… some of the campers thinks we are a joke. We live in a giant dollhouse, we never win in Capture the Flag, we don’t excel in any physical activities. All we are good at is being cute and being cute doesn’t matter in a battlefield.”

Zendaya was quiet for awhile and then, “Piper McLean.”

“What?”

“Piper is our sister and a daughter of Aphrodite,” Zendaya said. “She didn’t let her parentage to define what she is, or who she wants to be. You can be a daughter of Aphrodite and still be a badass warrior. Being cute is not a limitation, it’s just a part of you. And if you want to be more than just a cute girl living in a giant dollhouse, all you need to have is the courage to try. It doesn’t matter who your parents might be, you create your own identity.”

Karolina beamed at the head counselor. “Thank you.”

“Now,” Zendaya gripped her shoulders. “I’ll let you do whatever you want but absolutely no broken bones, or broken rules – at least not so much that you’ll get a severe punishment from. Are we clear?”

“Yes,” Karolina hugged the older girl in gratitude.

Their moment was interrupted when another girl arrived at the beach.

“Hey, Z!”

They both turned their heads to the direction of the voice and saw Nico casually ambling towards them, in her hand was a clipboard.

“I wanna talk about the strawberry field thing,” Nico said when she was near enough, she acknowledged Karolina’s presence by simply nodding to her.

“I’ll go first, then,” Karolina offered a thin smile to both counselors and walked away.

Nico watched her for a while until Zendaya cleared her throat. “Um, you want to talk about something?”

“Oh yeah,” Nico looked up at the other girl, silently cursing Aphrodite for making all her children so freakin tall they’re practically giants compared to her.

“As much as we want to believe that all bad blood between our cabins are now gone, I don’t want to be complacent and risk getting a bigger punishment from Chiron, so I drew up a plan,” Nico gave the clipboard to Zendaya. “We’ll go on alternate shifts, our cabin will take the first shift this Monday, yours will have Tuesday, and so on and so forth until we’re done.”

“Sounds good,” Zendaya nodded her agreement.

“I’ve also listed all the chores that needs to be done on the field like watering, pulling weeds and checking for bugs. You can have that clipboard, I already have my copy.”

The other counselor grinned at her appreciatively. “You’re very thorough, thank you. We will take it.”

Nico shrugged modestly and smiled back. She was about to leave when Zendaya caught her arm.

“Uh, Nico…” she released her hold when Nico whirled around. “Can I ask for a favor?”

Nico raised a brow in question but didn’t say anything.

“It’s about Karolina,” Zendaya mumbled. “Can you look after her, at least just for this week? If it’s not a big deal.”

“Is she in trouble?” Nico was careful to keep her face blank.

“No,” Zendaya shook her head. “At least not yet, anyway. You have healing skills, right?”

Nico nodded thoughtfully. “Just this week?”

“Yeah, and you don’t need to always follow her around, just check on her like a couple of times a day, I’ll do the rest.”

“Okay.”

_It’s just a week, what could possibly happen?_

+

Monday:

“Karolina Dean of Cabin 10, is that you?”

Nico’s brows knotted when she saw the blonde who was wearing some stylish workout clothes trying her hardest to climb one of the trees on the edge of the North woods. “What are you doing?”

Karolina gripped a branch hanging overhead and tried to hoist herself up the trunk. She was already sweaty and few strands of hair clung to her face. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

Nico watched her for at least ten seconds before coming to a conclusion.

“Honestly, you look like you’re trying to wrestle the tree to the ground and struggling a lot at that. How long have you been trying to do what you think you’re supposed to be doing?”

Karolina didn’t answer, she just looked for possible footholds on the tree trunk that she could maybe use in order to climb it.

“Okay, what exactly are you trying to achieve by climbing that tree?” Nico strode near where the daughter of Aphrodite was. “Is a cat up there now and you’re trying to rescue it? Because I can get help.”

“I don’t want your help,” Karolina momentarily abandoned her search for footholds. “I’m climbing this tree because I’m training.”

“Training for what?”

“Just… training,” Karolina looked away and pretended to examine the tree.

Nico folded her arms. “There’s the climbing wall,” she suggested.

“I don’t want the climbing wall-”

“Why? Because you think people will laugh at you when they see a child of Aphrodite doing physical stuff?”

“I don’t care about what people think,” Karolina snapped, dark flushes rose beneath her cheeks. “And please stop talking.”

“If you really don’t care about what people think, you’d be at the climbing wall instead,” Nico retorted, she then walked towards the tree and pointed to the trunk. “Put your left foot here, and don’t try to pull your whole weight with only your arms,” she pointed again, “Another foot here, and you can reach for that branch, go on, use your height, you’re like a giant.”

Karolina followed Nico’s instructions and in five minutes accompanied with lots of side comments from the latter, she was able to climb up and sit on one of the larger branches. She took a deep breath and grinned, feeling good about herself, but when she glanced down, Nico was gone.

“H-hey!” Karolina called, looking around frantically. “How do I get down? Nico? Nico!”

+

Tuesday:

“Karolina Dean! Get back here!”

Nico was impatient and frustrated as she watched Karolina paddled further away from the shores of the lake. Someone from Apollo’s cabin told her that they saw Karolina dragging a canoe to the waters so she came to investigate.

“Why is your head counselor just letting you run around doing mad things like these?”

_And I’m the foolish one who has to watch over you._

“I told you I’m training!” Karolina shouted in reply as she paddled faster. “Just leave me alone! I can do this!”

“Di immortalis..” Nico cursed under her breath. She put her hands on her hips and inhaled deeply to calm down. “I can’t leave you alone because you could literally die. You’re not wearing a life vest! Do you even know how to swim?”

Karolina stopped paddling and gazed around, she’s already in the deeper part of the lake. “I think so!”

“What do you mean you think so?” Nico asked in disbelief. “It’s either you know how to swim or you don’t!”

“I had some lessons when I was a kid!”

Nico buried her face in her hands and sighed in exasperation but she glanced up quickly when she heard a loud squeal and then a big splash after.

_What in Tartarus is this girl doing…_

Karolina was flailing in the lake now – apparently had fallen off the canoe, how the hell it happened Nico didn’t have any idea.

“Just wait there, don’t panic!” she took off her shirt and ran to the water.

It took her awhile to get to where Karolina was because she was pretty far up ahead, when she reached the blonde female, she was already under the surface.

Nico could feel the dread spreading through her body but she fought with all her might to drag Karolina to the shore which took some considerable effort. Once they were on dry land, Nico’s first aid skills instinctively kicked in.

She checked if Karolina was breathing- she wasn’t. She opened Karolina’s mouth to clear her airways, and then started to perform cpr on her. Nico was just leaning down to Karolina’s lips when the latter started coughing, water poured out from her nose and mouth.

“Holy-” Nico jumped back in surprise, her eyes wide and chest thudding.

“Oh my gods,” Karolina greedily gasped for air. “Am I dead?” she sat up and looked at Nico who was just standing there in her bra and wet all over. “Did I die?” she asked hoarsely.

“No,” Nico picked her shirt up from where it was and consciously put it on again. “But I’d advise you to just avoid the lake if you value your life.”

Karolina chuckled to herself when Nico walked away without another word.

+

Wednesday:

“If I die today I’m holding you responsible,” Nico hissed angrily as they seek for a hiding place away from the Cyclopes chasing them.

She just found herself pursued by a bunch of wild Cyclopes when she looked for Karolina outside of the camp borders. After Zendaya informed her that Karolina was missing from her cabin bunk at dawn, she had a hunch that the girl could only be found outside of the camp. She was proved right.

_And of course, there were monsters tagging along._

“I didn’t ask you to go find me,” Karolina hissed back while they crouched behind a large fallen tree. “I was minding my own business.”

“Yeah, and is that business about how to get slaughtered by monsters in a really gruesome way? Nobody’s allowed to leave the camp except if Chiron or Mr. D say so.”

Karolina rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t gonna go far, I was just looking for some plants.”

“Demeter cabin got hundreds of plants!” Nico wanted to tear her hair out of frustration. “What is wrong with you? Do you really have a death wish?”

Before Karolina could answer, a cyclops burst through the trees behind them. It was only personal pride that kept Nico from screaming her lungs out while Karolina let out a screech that could probably rival a dolphin’s.

They both jumped aside when the hulking monstrosity clubbed the ground they were crouching on. At least Karolina’s reflexes weren’t bad, Nico noted as she gathered the mists around her and summoned two daggers made of celestial bronze in a second.

Karolina’s jaw hung in awe as she watched Nico hopped on the cyclops’ club when he swung it to her direction. Nico didn’t miss a beat and quickly leaped on his arm then jumped on the cyclop’s shoulder and buried both daggers deep in his eye. Before her feet landed on the ground, the monster had turned to dust.

“Gods,” Karolina coughed as she fanned the dust away from her face. “How did you do that?”

Nico shrugged as if it was nothing. “Practice.”

“No, I mean, with the mist?”

“A gift from Hecate,” Nico offered her hand to the girl as the daggers vanished back to the mist. “Let’s go before his friends find us, I really don’t like fighting monsters before breakfast.”

They were silent when they trudged back to the camp, both tired. Karolina was a pace behind Nico, she was embarrassed and disappointed in herself. She lied when she said that she was looking for a plant. It was her purpose to find any wild monsters roaming around, like those Cyclopes, to practice her charmspeak abilities.

She felt lucky when she found them, but vastly underestimated their hatred towards demigods. In the end, she wasn’t prepared at all to face the threat, she faltered and she almost got herself killed if not for Nico.

_Speaking of Nico, why was she everywhere?_

“Hey,” she called to the girl lumbering in front of her. “I just want to thank you for saving me, and also sorry for putting you in danger.”

Nico glanced back once and continued walking. “Don’t mention it, and I mean don’t mention it to anyone or Chiron will ground us until gods-knows-when.”

“Got it,” Karolina replied quietly.

Nico stopped walking under Thalia’s Pine and waited for her. The sun was just hardly over the horizon but already a few campers were awake and now jogged around the camp.

“I think I know now what you’re trying to do,” Nico told her. “But if you really want to train, you can’t just climb one tree and expect to be an expert climber after. Training is a process, there are steps you can’t skip. And please don’t look for plants outside of the camp again.”

“I know,” Karolina hung her head.

“Ms. Dean,” Nico’s voice was softer now. “We have an archery training later, maybe you’d want to join us?”

“Maybe,” Karolina gave her a small smile.

Nico slowly reached up and flicked a dirt away from Karolina’s cheek. “I gotta give it to your mother, even after being chased by those Cyclopes, you still look like you came out of a magazine.”

Karolina blushed and smiled shyly.

“Well then,” Nico stepped back, “See you at breakfast?”

Karolina nodded, but when Nico was about ten feet from her, the former called her again.

“Hey,” Karolina said and when Nico turned, she smirked. “I actually know how to swim.”

Nico grinned knowingly.

“You might not be as hopeless as I thought you’d be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> p.s, do you like Hayley Kiyoko?


	3. Dreams and Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico had a vision, and it's not a good one.

Karolina couldn’t look Zendaya in the eyes when she entered their cabin and saw the head counselor sitting up on her bunk.

“Morning,” she muttered as she sat on the edge of her bed.

Zendaya glumly stared at her for a while, noting the small bruises and dirt on her face and arms. “I thought we’re already clear that no major rules should be broken if I let you do your own thing? You just broke a major one, K.”

“I know,” Karolina couldn’t be more apologetic if she tried. “I’m really sorry, I overestimated myself. I thought I could do it.”

“You’ve put yourself in danger, not just once if I may add,” Zendaya’s scowl deepened and she appeared much older than she actually was, maybe it was the stress. “We are very close friends, and everyone knows I’m supportive than most head counselors here but if I don’t put an end to whatever you’re doing, all of us will be at risk, not just you.”

“I’m sorry,” Karolina bowed her head, fully accepting Zendaya’s decision. “It’s never gonna happen again.”

“Make sure of it, I trust you to learn from your mistakes,” Zendaya finally stood up and took a clipboard and a pen.

“There are scheduled physical training activities in the camp if you still want to join them.” She pitched Karolina a sharp look. “Normal training activities, no tree climbing included. Anyways, swords and shields, I’d advise you to learn under the Athena cabin, they have way more patience than Ares’ kids. Archery, of course, Apollo’s cabin. Armors and chariots, the children of Hephaestus have a knack for them.”

“About Apollo’s cabin…” Karolina asked. “Why is Nico always seem to be following me around? I mean, it can’t be a coincidence. She’s literally everywhere.”

“Oh, I asked her to look after you,” Zendaya revealed casually. “And be glad that she did.”

Karolina was baffled, her mouth opened and closed for a couple of times before she found her voice. “But why would you ask her?”

“I was worried about you, and honestly after everything that happened, I was right to worry.”

Karolina pursed her lips and crossed her arms. “You could’ve asked someone else.”

“Who?” Zendaya raised one perfectly-shaped eyebrow. “Julie? Vanessa?”

“I don’t know, someone else…” Karolina’s eyes surveyed the section of their cabin that was allotted for the girls’ bunks. “Also where’s Julie and Vanessa?”

Zendaya waved her hand vaguely, “They found out that they liked gardening and growing flowers so I guess they’re spending some time either in Dionysus’ cabin or Demeter’s.”

“Why would Nico say yes though,” Karolina wondered aloud. “It’s not like she owed you anything.”

Zendaya shrugged nonchalantly. “Her reasons are her own,” she then scribbled on her clipboard. “If you want to start training today, I’ll send a note to Athena’s head counselor so you could join them. Meanwhile, change clothes and drop by the infirmary, you have bruises.”

“You know that payback plan that we did,” Karolina said, having decided to tell Z about what really happened that night at the lake. “I found out that charmspeaks don’t work on Nico.”

Zendaya just stared at her in silence.

“She kissed me,” Karolina elaborated, thinking that Z didn’t understand what she just said. “On purpose.”

“Interesting…” her head counselor murmured, still staring at her.

“Why?”

“Because you didn’t complain about it,” Zendaya stated matter-of-factly.

_Well, yeah._

“Do you think Nico likes you?” Zendaya asked her, her tone was as serious as it could get. “You think that’s the reason why she agreed to look after you?”

Karolina met the gaze of her friend, “I don’t know.”

Zendaya’s eyes narrowed and pierced her deeper, cutting through flesh and bones, through her façade.

“Do _you_ like her?”

This time, Karolina avoided her eyes. “I don’t know…”

“Remember, K,” Zendaya smiled and patted her shoulders soothingly. “There’s a difference between not knowing and pretending not to know.”

+

_“Please don’t, Karolina, no… wake up, please…” Nico could see herself sobbing over Karolina’s body; the blonde was lying on the dry ground, unmoving, eyes glassy and lifeless. A dark stain of blood on her shirt was rapidly spreading over her chest and stomach. She was so pale, and so beautiful._

_Impossibly beautiful._

_Nico could hear the cries and screams and uproars of the battle happening around them, she could smell the blood and the smoke, could taste death on her lips, could feel the fury in the air._

_No._

_Karolina. I beg you. Don’t leave me._

“Nico?

Nico blinked and was transported back to reality.

“Are you okay?”

The Cabin 7’s head counselor cautiously looked around her at the steps outside of their cabin, searching for the signs of the battlefield she saw earlier. No smoke, no fires, no deaths. Just the regular old Camp Half-Blood that she adored, more or less the same from when she first came here.

“I’m fine,” she forced a smile to give her younger cabinmate. “Let’s go get those first aid supplies.”

As they took the path to the infirmary, Nico tried to shake away the terrible vision she had. Or was it a premonition? Or a warning, maybe? As a daughter of Apollo who is the god of prophecies, and a legacy of Hecate who was also known to be able to predict the future, life can be very confusing to Nico.

Sometimes, dreams can be just dreams. And sometimes, they’re not.

_What if this one wasn’t just a dream?_

Her chest tightened at the thought of a future where Karolina died and-

Hecate once told Nico that the future was the accumulation of all the decisions you’ve made in the present. That your future was ever-changing. That you have the power to change it.

Then to avoid that future, she just needed to change something in her present.

_But what?_

+

“Customer!” an Apollo kid on duty in the infirmary called when Karolina entered the room, having swapped her soiled shirt for a clean one.

“I’ll take her,” another voice answered, and Nico appeared from the back, lugging a box full of first aid kits. Another kid took the box from her and went out, leaving her to tend to Karolina.

She is everywhere, Karolina thought.

“Sit down,” Nico led her to one of the vacant beds in the corner of the infirmary. There wasn’t a lot of patients then; there was one sleeping in a cot and another one getting his arm out of a cast.

Karolina dutifully sat down, her eyes following Nico’s movements as she prepared the various things she had to use.

“Don’t move,” Nico ordered her when she finally sat down across Karolina on the bed and pinched between her fingers was a ball of cotton dabbed in some alcohol.

Karolina tried not to but a slight pain seared through her skin when the cotton touched the cut on her cheek, she flinched.

“I told you not to move,” Nico scolded, her eyes squinted in annoyance but she kept on with her work. “Stop it, you’re fidgeting so much.”

“It hurts!”

“And whose fault is that?”

Karolina rolled her eyes in retort but didn’t answer.

“I take it your counselor gave you a dressing down?” Nico asked quietly, careful to keep the conversation just between them.

“In not a lot of words,” Karolina sighed, still feeling the guilt of breaking Zendaya’s trust. “She told me about your deal.”

Nico just grunted as she spread some wound ointment on Karolina’s cut.

“Why did you take it?” Karolina tried to catch Nico’s eyes but the latter clearly didn’t want to meet hers. “I mean, the task to look after me?”

“You know, when a fellow head counselor asked you to do something-” Nico started to tell her some mediocre bullshit explanation about honor and favors and whatnots that Karolina couldn’t give a damn about at the moment.

“Nico,” Karolina gripped the wrist of the girl fixing her wounds and leaned closer. “Why did you agree to look after me?”

Nico’s eyes flicked to her and for a moment Karolina forgot to breath.

“Why did you pretend that you drowned?” she asked back.

“Because I wanted to know if you’ll save me,” Karolina answered without even blinking. “Why did you agree?”

“Because I wanted to see you reach your full potential as a person and not just as a daughter of some goddess,” Nico replied, holding her stare with the same intensity. “Does that satisfy you?”

“You are full of shit, Nico,” Karolina muttered dryly, releasing her wrist.

Nico just shrugged indifferently and resumed her work. “So I’ve been told.”

They fell to an uncomfortable silence that lasted until Nico was almost done dressing her cuts and bruises.

“What do you usually get from holding your feelings back?” Karolina asked bluntly when Nico just finished putting a series of band-aids on her arms.

Nico stood up and smiled at Karolina, a little sadly.

“Less heartbreak.”

+

After a session of swords and shields with Athena’s children – which was a LOT more exhausting than Karolina had expected – she was ready to pass on her bunk and call it a day but after a quick shower and a long nap, she decided to wander around the camp grounds for a bit.

“Hi K!”

Several Apollo boys carrying longbows and quivers of arrows passed by her, “Z mentioned you wanted to try archery?”

“Yeah,” she paused walking and smiled back. “Um, is Nico gonna be there?”

“She’s gonna be at the range later but she’s still at the Pegasus stables,” the tall boy with silver hair answered.

“Oh, um… the stables is this way?”

“Yeah,” the boys pointed to a direction. “Just go that way, it’s not very far.”

“Thank you!”

The boys grinned before walking away, “No problem.”

Karolina found Nico hard at work in the stables, she was with a few sons of Iris and was chatting comfortably with them.

“Hey,”

Nico’s head swerved to the direction of her voice and an unreadable expression flickered in her features.

“Later, Nico!” her friends called before leaving them alone, Nico waved back briefly and faced the newcomer.

“What are you doing here?”

Karolina leaned against the wooden frame of the wall and acted casual. “You said I could join in the archery training. They told me you’re still here.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Nico continued working but she looked up when a Pegasus snorted in the next stable, poking her head on the doorway. “Hi Midnight.”

“Wow,” Karolina didn’t even try to hide her awe when Nico led the Pegasus out. She’d ridden a Pegasus before – there’s not much difference from riding a horse, really. Except that it could fly.

But Midnight didn’t just look _like_ a Pegasus, she looked like a proper mystical creature direct from the story books. Magical and intelligent.

“Her name is Midnight,” Nico introduced the Pegasus – she was big and muscular and her black coat and feathers shone brightly. Her eyes were kind and reflected the sunlight that they appeared like molten gold.

“Have you rode a Pegasus before?” Karolina asked while stroking the dark feathers of the creature towering over them.

Nico shook her head as she went back to the stable. “Nope,”

“Like ever?” Karolina arched a brow, unconvinced.

“I haven’t tried yet,” Nico hurried to finish the stable she was cleaning. “Let me get this done so we could go to the archery-”

“Are you scared?” Karolina sneered, mischief in her voice.

Nico turned to look at Karolina, her eyes glinting dangerously. “Scared of what?”

“Of riding a Pegasus?”

“I am not.”

Karolina burst to a delighted giggle. “Oh my gods, you are!”

“I’m telling you I’m not.” Nico said forcefully, but there was a trace of hesitation in her eyes.

“You can tell me,” Karolina winked conspiratorially. “We can keep it as a secret.”

Nico rolled her eyes and tried to ignore the blonde camper. “Leave me alone, Karolina.”

“Fine,” Karolina smirked gleefully, finally having found something of a leverage against Nico. “If you’re not really scared, I dare you to ride one now.”

Nico swallowed discreetly, she gazed around the stables in uncertainty.

“The mighty Minoru scared of a wee flying horse,” Karolina chanted in a sing-song voice.

Nico was silent the whole time and Karolina began to worry if she had pushed it too far. But she saw the Apollo’s daughter bit her lower lip and wistfully stared at the Pegasus as if she’s considering the idea; she extended her hand to Nico and smiled the most encouraging smile she could muster.

“Don’t worry,” Karolina said, her hand still waiting for Nico’s. “I won’t let you fall.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyy guys,
> 
> so, I got some things to say - first, I might be working again real soon so I can't promise for frequent updates. I was actually thinking of just deleting my account because I don't know if I'll have any more spare time for writing. I know the feeling of waiting for nothing (hashtag hugot) and I don't want you guys to go through that. But if any of you are still willing to read the story, I'd find time to write.
> 
> second - a shoutout to my friend Ez, she's super obsessed with deanoru (and would probably marry one of them if given the chance) and we live in different timezones so she literally did a livestream of Runaways finale for me (which I think is kinda illegal but also kinda sweet so...) Hey girl! Hope school is doing great ;)
> 
> third - I don't really have a third one, haha, but this one's for you (reader) thank you for reading and commenting and encouraging ^_^ HAVE A GREAT DAY!


	4. Dreamcatchers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karolina and Nico and something about their pasts. But mostly about Nico's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> suprise update! (because I like you guys)  
> have fun ^_^

“Open your eyes!” Karolina told Nico a few minutes after they left the ground and currently circling the air above the North woods.

Nico was sitting behind her and her arms were around Karolina’s waist, embracing her so hard the latter could hardly breathe. Nico has buried her face on Karolina’s back and refused to move at all.

“It’s so high up!” Nico replied, her voice muffled against Karolina’s shirt.

“Of course! We’re on a flying horse, for gods’ sake!”

Nico shouted something but it was lost in the wind.

“What did you say?” Karolina suddenly tried to shift on her seat that resulted to Nico’s hold tightening even more against her body. She felt like being squeezed by a boa constrictor.

“Oh my gods, you’re crushing my ribs!”

“Sorry!” Nico was laughing at her back. “I thought you were gonna jump.”

“What? Why would I jump?”

“I don’t know but you’re unpredictable and kinda crazy!” Nico replied loudly. “Jumping off in mid-air is probably in your bucket list.”

“Look,” Karolina released her grasp on Midnight’s mane to pat Nico’s hand in encouragement. “The view’s really great, if you don’t open your eyes, we’re doing this for nothing.”

_For nothing?_

Nico wasn’t sure if seeing the view would even make a difference to what she was feeling right now. She also wasn’t sure if her racing heart was because of the ride or because she’s hugging Karolina.

_But oh well, let’s humor the girl._

She opened her eyes slowly and summoned every will to look below them where the green trees of the woods spread out like a carpet almost all the way to sandy beach lining the edge of the glittering blue waters of the ocean. It was like a living postcard.

 _Karolina was right, it was good,_ Nico thought. But soon enough her thoughts’ direction wandered to the lines of _I wonder what perfume Karolina is using?_

“Do you have your eyes open?” Karolina asked, she turned her head as far as she could to get a glimpse of Nico.

“Yeah, yeah,” she mumbled and rested her cheeks against Karolina’s back. “I’m closing them again.”

“Fine,” the blonde sighed and urged Midnight to descend to the ground. “I guess we’re not curing your fear of heights today.”

Nico didn’t speak, she just tried to savor every second that she had her arms around Karolina while hoping that the latter won’t feel the beating of her wild heart through her shirt.

+

Midnight landed as gently as a floating feather on a sand bank and knelt down to make it easier for the two girls to climb from her back.

“Good girl, Midnight,” Nico rubbed the Pegasus’ neck. “Thank you for the ride, it was exciting.”

“Don’t listen to her, Midnight,” Karolina countered, she planted a small kiss on the Pegasus’ cheek. “She was totally terrified up there.”

“I did open my eyes,” Nico pointed out, patting the winged creature as Midnight ruffled her feathers and got ready to fly back to the camp.

“Do you wanna walk for a bit?” Karolina suggested as the Pegasus took to the skies again, leaving them on the ground. “We’re going to miss the archery practice though.”

“We can go to the range tomorrow,” Nico said as she took off her shoes and started the stroll along the length of the beach. Karolina followed suit and soon they were walking side by side in the quiet afternoon.

“I was thinking…” Karolina started to say when they were walking for about ten minutes. “Because I don’t know how Legacies work? How you literally have more control with the mist compared to the other children of Hecate in the camp.”

“I was actually made as an honorary member of Cabin 20 because of this gift,” Nico hiked up to the upper part of the beach where a few struggling blades of grasses grew, she sat down and motioned Karolina to sit beside her. “I didn’t ask for this power – gift or a curse, depends on who you ask. I was also disowned by my own mother because of it so…”

“You don’t mind telling me?” Karolina rested her hands on her lap and inhaled the salty breeze of the ocean.

Nico gave her a thin smile. “I’m feeling generous today.”

Karolina returned her smile and waited for her to open up.

“Hecate is my grandmother – my mom’s mom,” Nico began to summarize her story. “My mom also came here to the camp but she didn’t get any abilities from Hecate. She thought that she wasn’t very magical for a demigod and I think it made her frustrated and angry so she left the camp after just a year and went on to live her life as a mortal. She met Robert Minoru and they got married, they had a daughter – my sister, Amy – but my mom still wasn’t content with the life she’s living, so she had an affair with a god – and I was born.”

“The moment I was born, Hecate appeared and gave me her blessing. My mom was so mad that Hecate was willing to give me so much power when she herself was lacking of it. She hated her life, she hated the world, and she hated me.”

Nico paused for a while, when she spoke again there was a palpable strain of bitterness in her voice that Karolina suddenly wanted to give her a hug but she wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate at the moment.

“My mother left Robert and took us with her but she was absent for most of my childhood – Amy practically raised me by herself. Apollo found me when I turned 13 but by then I already know that I wasn’t a normal kid.”

“I think my mom just wanted to belong. Her goddess mother pretty much ignored her until I was born. I guess the reason why chose Apollo to be my father was also some kind of a rebellion, because you know, Apollo is the god of light and Hecate is sort of… the opposite.”

“Amy didn’t get any Hecate magic?” Karolina asked quietly.

“No,” Nico shook her head. “Amy is normal as normal can get. Thank gods. Because I don’t think mother would be able to take if both of her daughters got more magic than her.”

“So, before your real father found you, how did you know that you have abilities?” Karolina felt like she was doing an interview for a newspaper or something, but she was so hooked to Nico’s life story.

Nico chuckled, dry but sort of amused. “Hecate wasn’t very subtle. You see, I get weird presents on my birthdays, and I knew that they weren’t from my mortal family. I don’t think my mom even remembers when my birthday is, and Amy just gets me whatever she could with the little money she earns – usually candies and sorts. Hecate sends me… trinkets.”

Karolina patiently waited again when Nico paused and slipped out something from her pocket – it was a dreamcatcher roughly 2 inches in diameter.

“She sent me this on my sixth birthday, I think? I found it under my pillow when I woke up in the morning.”

She gave it to Karolina and the latter inspected it thoroughly. It looked like a common dreamcatcher on the first glance, but in closer examination she realized that the hoop was made of gold and the threads were silver, the small stones embedded in the silver threads were real gems and the single bright crimson feather adorning it gave off a mild heat.

“Is this-?”

“Yes, it’s a phoenix feather,” Nico said, looking over the dreamcatcher in Karolina’s hands. “I have no idea where she even found a phoenix.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Ah, well,” Nico shrugged. “Beauty can be deceitful.”

“Yeah…” Karolina mumbled awkwardly.

Nico peered at her and realized what she just said and what she might have unknowingly implied. “Oh no, not like you. I mean, you’re beautiful but not like deceiving or something like that- like you’re a different kind of beauty,” she sighed when she felt her face warmed under Karolina’s stare. “I should stop talking.”

Karolina just laughed at Nico’s flushed cheeks, almost resembling the color of the phoenix feather on the dreamcatcher.

“So you think I’m beautiful?”

“You’re literally a daughter of the goddess of beauty,” Nico muttered but she refused to look at Karolina. “Everyone thinks you’re beautiful.”

“I’m not asking for everyone’s thoughts,” Karolina turned the dreamcatcher over to Nico. “I’m asking for yours.”

“Yes,” Nico met her eyes for a split-second and then evaded it again. “I think you’re beautiful.”

Karolina grinned bashfully. “Hmmm.”

Nico stole a glance from her again. “Is it just me or you’re looking very smug right now?”

“I might be,” Karolina chuckled quietly, basking in the glory of the moment.

“How about you, how did you know you’re a demigod?” Nico asked in a lame attempt to steer the conversation away from what she thinks of Karolina’s face.

“It was kind of funny back then,” Karolina mused, staring into the distance. “I had a crush on this girl when I was in grade school, but I don’t think she liked me _that_ way, if she even liked me at all. I asked her out anyway and she said yes, so we went to a movie and the movie was not rated G. I told my dad about it and he was alarmed, he realized I have charmspeak. Then he told me about my mother, sent me to the camp, and the rest is history.”

“You used charmspeak on your crush?” asked Nico incredulously.

“I didn’t know that I had it then,” Karolina laughed in reply. “I just remember thinking: please say yes, please say yes.”

Nico chuckled along. “You can probably ask anyone out and they’ll say yes.”

Karolina gave her a sly look. “Unfortunately you’re immune so I can’t exactly use it on you. It would’ve saved me a lot of time trying to get a date with you.”

“Are you hitting on me?” Nico narrowed her eyes in feigned suspicion, the corner of her lips twitched in a smirk.

“I was trying to,” Karolina beamed sheepishly, embarrassment welling up under her skin. “Clearly it’s not working.”

Nico smiled back, looked away, and shrugged. “No comment.”

+

“Do you want to go over there and sit on their table?” Julie secretly kicked Karolina under their table while the whole camp was having dinner. “Will you please stop staring? Everyone’s looking at you.”

Karolina turned to her half-sib, a clueless expression on her features. “What?”

“For Aphrodite’s sake,” Vanessa rubbed her face with her hands. “Our sister is whipped.”

Zendaya rolled her eyes with all the dramatics happening on their table. “K, do you want to say something?”

Karolina just stared, still looking utterly innocent.

“Anything at all?” Zendaya opened her eyes really wide. “Anything, Karolina, say something. What’s happening with you?”

“Meaning, why are you having a staring contest with the head counselor of Apollo’s cabin?” Vanessa explained, clearly enunciating every word that made some of their younger half-siblings turn their heads in curiosity. “Honestly, I don’t know if you guys want to kiss _or_ kill each other. It’s a little bit confusing.”

“What she means to _say_ is-” Julie covered Vanessa’s mouth with her hand. “You two have been looking at each other since the dinner started, and we want to know what’s up because we literally don’t have any idea.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Karolina waved her hand dismissively despite the fact that her face was on fire. “We just had a walk at the beach.”

Vanessa raised her brows at Karolina suspiciously. “If I were to guess, you did more than just walk-”

Julie shoved a loaf of bread in Vanessa’s mouth to stop her babbling. “Please stop talking like this in public, thank you.”

“You know, if you want to date _her_ or anyone you fancy,” Z told Karolina. “We will support you, right?”

“I know,” Karolina nodded, grateful for her cabin’s unwavering support. “But it’s really nothing.”

“Okay,” Zendaya didn’t press her anymore, she just handed her a small origami swan. “Here, this little guy came to the cabin and had your name on it so I think this was meant for you.”

Karolina accepted the paper swan and put it in her pocket, having decided to look at it further in the privacy of their cabin. She glanced back at Apollo’s table but Nico was already busy talking with her brood so she just finished eating.

After dinner, they were supposed to join the campfire sing-along but Karolina told Z that she’d rather rest early because she’d have an exhausting day and was allowed to, although Julie and Vanessa didn’t look convinced of her excuse.

As soon as she was on her bed, Karolina took the swan out of her pocket and unfolded it, inside was a simple prose written without the name of the author:

 

_I’ve always been scared of falling,_

_I never liked heights, or the sensation of looking down from a high place,_

_The feel of gravity tempting you closer to the edge, filling your veins with adrenaline, your stomach with butterflies, and your head with haze._

_It’s like falling in love._

_It’s exhilarating and dangerous._

_It could give you the best memories and the worst ones._

_It could make and destroy you._

_But I guess that’s what life is about – finding something worth breaking your bones and heart for._

_And when you’re finally ready to take the risk and jump, you could only hope that there’s someone below willing to catch you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> p.s, I also have a fear of heights (but not of falling ;P)


	5. The Light and The Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico's life was made more complicated.

For the nth time, Nico saw Karolina staring at her – rather wistfully, she thought – over her plate of toasts and strawberry jam. She gave the blonde one a smile for the first few times when they met each other’s eyes but it had been almost a quarter of an hour and the Cabin 10’s camper was _still_ staring.

_Honestly, what’s up with her this morning?_

Nico was starting to get uncomfortable and shifted uneasily on her seat. She tried to listen to the snippets of conversation happening around Apollo’s table while their cabin was having breakfast and put her attention somewhere else other than Karolina’s blue eyes boring multiple holes in her body.

“Are you okay, Nico?” the tall boy with platinum hair they nicknamed Silver – his name was actually Thomas but the moniker quickly stuck and no one outside of their cabin knew his name wasn’t Silver – asked her when she fidgeted on her seat again, trying so hard to keep her eyes away from Aphrodite’s table.

“Huh? Oh yeah, I’m okay,” she lied while managing to keep a straight face. “Does the jam taste a bit different to you today?”

_When in doubt, talk about the jam._

Silver lifted his spoon and scooped some strawberry jam with the tip, “Tastes the same to me,” he replied thoughtfully.

“Yeah, maybe it’s just me…” Nico bowed her head and stared on her plate through her lashes, she could still feel Karolina’s warm glare in her direction. “Hey Sil, do me a favor?” she whispered but audible enough for Silver to hear.

“Yeah?” the boy also lowered his head and pretended to be busy slathering his toasts with insane amounts of jam.

“Is Karolina still looking this way?”

“From Aphrodite?”

Nico nodded idly then tore the corner of her bread and stuffed some of it in her mouth just so she could do something with her hands.

Raising one of his toasts piled high with enough jam to give someone diabetes, Silver bit into it and casually gazed around all the other tables, careful not to let his eyes linger too much when he got to Aphrodite’s lot.

“Yes, she’s still staring,” he muttered through mouthful of bread and jam. “Oh… she just stood up and… she’s walking now… gods, I think she’s heading to our table?”

Nico lifted her head sharply and drew a harsh breath when Karolina’s tall figure appeared in her view. All the conversation on their table stopped when the Aphrodite camper stepped in _their_ premises. The memory of that particular night was still fresh in their memories and almost everyone in Cabin 7 was still wary of Karolina and her charmspeak abilities – with the exception of a few campers, of course, mostly the older ones. Meanwhile, Silver resumed chewing.

“Oh… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you guys,” Karolina grinned sheepishly and raised both of her hands in a placating manner. “I come in peace, I swear.”

Nobody answered her. And Nico was still too busy thinking up of the possible reasons why Karolina would approach their table.

“Right…” the tall girl bit the corner of her bottom lip as Cabin 7 continued staring. “I just-” her head swerved to the head counselor’s direction. “Nico, can I talk to you for a sec?”

Several hands coming from different directions reached out to Nico when she started to rise from her seat.

“Guys,” she raised a palm towards them and all the arms quickly and simultaneously backed out. “I’m fine, I can take care of myself, don’t worry.”

She followed Karolina to the edge of the pavilion and although some people were still staring, they decided to ignore them.

“Listen, I just wanted to thank you for the poetry last night,” Karolina smiled brightly, her eyes mirroring the blue sky above. “That was so sweet.”

Nico was silent and when she spoke up, there was a strain of confusion in her voice. “What poetry?”

Karolina’s smile wavered for a split-second. “The- the paper swan? The origami thing?” when Nico didn’t react, she tried to give more information. “You send it to my cabin last night, it had my name…”

“No, I-” Nico stammered, still confused. “I didn’t send you anything, Karolina.”

“But-” Karolina took out the origami swan from her pocket and showed it to Nico. “The poetry was about being scared of falling and stuff like that, and you have a fear of heights and we had a Pegasus ride yesterday. It can’t be a coincidence.”

Nico just stared at her thoughtfully and didn’t speak.

“Please,” Karolina sighed in frustration. “Don’t play with me, Nico. I understand if you don’t want to talk about it, but please don’t lie-”

“I’m not lying to you!” Nico was indignant and mildly irritated with the accusation. “I didn’t write you a poetry and I didn’t send you anything. Is that hard to believe?”

Karolina gazed at her for a moment and realized that Nico was telling the truth. Embarrassment and anger filled her eyes. “You know what? You’re right. Why would you write and send me anything. It’s not like we’re-” she swallowed the lump in her throat and looked away. “I apologize if I assumed it was you. I just thought that there was something- never mind, I should go.”

“Karolina…”

Nico could only follow Karolina’s retreating image with her eyes. She wanted to say that she’s sorry for hurting her feelings and Nico didn’t mean it. But the fact remained that she didn’t write Karolina a poetry and sent her one – _at least not yet_ – but she knew _what_ poetry the blonde was talking about.

She knew it because she did write it. A long time ago.

Nico slowly raised her eyes to the bright morning sun. “Hey dad,” she spat through clenched teeth. “Can we talk?”

+

She found the god of the sun just chilling on the doorstep of their cabin, casually sipping something like liquid gold in a crystal goblet. He chose to appear like a surfer dude this time, completing his look with a printed tank top, shorts, and shoulder-length sandy-blonde hair.

“Hey kiddo,” Apollo beamed a blinding smile – literally. Even his teeth were too sparkly that they could probably be made into jewelries. “What’s up?”

“Dad,” Nico sighed and raised both hands to shield her eyes from the brightness. “Can you stop… shining?”

Apollo shrugged, his grin unbothered. “But that’s what I’m good at.”

“Well, I’d really appreciate it if we could talk without you actually burning my eyeballs. My vision is 20/20 and I want to keep it that way,” Nico grumbled crossly and sat on one of the lawn chairs by the side of the cabin.

“Okay, sure,” Apollo dimmed the lights lower and Nico was able to look at him now without squinting her eyes to slits.

“So now, answer me this…” Nico’s face turned serious. “Why did you send Karolina one of my compositions written in my _private_ journal?”

Apollo donned a mask of innocence, and it was a great one. The god’s an actor afterall. “Send the what to who now?”

“Please,” Nico rolled her eyes dramatically. “An origami swan? Really? Pft, that’s amateur work! I could create dragons out of paper!”

“Hey!” Apollo protested quickly, the liquid in his goblet sloshed around when he moved. “Origami swans are simple but classy! And your poems and proses are gold, they should be published for the whole world to see.”

“They were not meant for everyone or anyone to see! Do you even understand the word _private_?” Nico was absolutely seething, there was just enough control in her body for not to attempt strangling her father. “Can you please stop sending poems to every boy or girl I spend time with? We’ve talked about this!”

“I just wanted to speed things a little between the two of you,” Apollo mumbled above his goblet of whatever he was drinking. “You two look really cute.”

“I don’t need your help, honestly you’re doing more damage than actually helping me,” Nico stated fiercely. “Because of what you did, Karolina was hurt and I’m hurt. Dad, please stop meddling with my life.”

“Alright, I’m sorry,” Apollo sounded sincere but Nico wasn’t sure if he was just acting like it. “I’m not gonna do it again.”

“Don’t ever touch the journal again,” Nico punctuated every word with a gesture of her hand. “Ever.”

“Got it, kid,” Apollo winked and tossed his now empty goblet to the air which transformed to a very large sunflower when he caught it. He offered it to Nico, stem and all. “Apology accepted?”

Nico took it reluctantly but shook her head. “Not yet, I’ll accept your apology if you go to Karolina and explain what you did.”

“Sorry kiddo,” Apollo shrugged and in a dazzling flash of light, he revert to his godly appearance which prompted Nico to cover her eyes again. “Got work to do, the sun won’t drive itself across the skies you know.”

“The earth revolves around the sun!” Nico yelled after Apollo began to levitate above the ground. He really didn’t need to do that, he just liked to show off.

“You can’t prove that!”

“Science did!” Nico retorted.

“Science is crazy!” Apollo’s voice echoed as he shot up to the clouds.

Nico sighed as she looked at the sunflower in her hand. “Gods are crazier.”

+

Nico bit the inside of her cheek as she stood in front of Aphrodite’s cabin, contemplating whether to knock or back out. She was still holding the large sunflower that Apollo gave her.

The door opened and Zendaya emerged from the inside. She quickly shut it again and stood with her back against it, unsmiling and stoic.

“I don’t think Karolina wants to talk right now,” she said quietly. “I don’t know what happened between you both but she was really upset.”

“I know, I’m really sorry that she’s hurt,” Nico couldn’t look Z in the eyes. “But would you believe me if I say that it wasn’t exactly my fault?”

Zendaya was obviously skeptical. “That’s an interesting concept.”

“The god of poetry and of lame tricks,” Nico rolled her eyes when she remembered what Apollo did. “He thinks that my life is a theater play and he’s the writer.”

“I can relate,” Z nodded knowingly, she visibly relaxed. “With Aphrodite, romance without intrigue is boring. But you understand if I’m protective over my siblings, I’m responsible for them and I don’t want to see them get hurt.”

“Same here,” Nico agreed, she felt the same way towards her own cabin and siblings. “And I swear I didn’t mean for Karolina to get hurt. If I could just explain to her, I think I’ll make it right.”

Zendaya pursed her lips as she considered Nico’s words, then her eyes flicked to the sunflower.

“Is that flower for K?”

Nico glanced down on her hand. “Yeah,”

“I’ll try to get her to talk to you, but I can’t promise anything,” Zendaya turned the knob of their cabin door and vanished inside.

Five minutes passed and Nico was sure that Z had been unsuccessful in convincing Karolina but another minute came and finally K’s blonde hair poked behind the door.

“I’m not really in the mood for a conversation,” she said, there was no spark in her eyes and her voice was flat.

“Right, um… so don’t talk, please just listen, okay?” Nico breathed deeply to start her explanation but the sunflower she was still holding suddenly sputtered lights and the round middle where the seeds were turned mirror-like and some kind of a video _actually_ began playing like the sunflower was a portable player.

“Holy-”

Both of them were surprised but Nico had enough presence of mind not to drop the flower.

The video was the footage of Nico and Apollo’s conversation in front of Cabin 7 just this morning. The scene where Nico confronted her father about sending her composition to Karolina. It started from when Nico found Apollo sitting on their doorstep up to the time when Karolina went out of their cabin’s door.

They were both silent while watching the whole thing. Karolina’s expression was a careful blank.

“Now that’s something I’ve never seen before,” she went down the steps and walked to Nico who was still holding the sunflower – the center was still smooth and clear but the footage had ended.

“How did you do it?” Nico tried not to move when Karolina put a hand over hers – the one holding the stem – and inspected the flower closely. “Is this a new invention from Hephaestus’ cabin?”

“No…” Nico also began to look over the flower in curiosity. “I think it was Iris.”

“Iris? The goddess of rainbow?”

“Yeah,” Nico had to rifle through her knowledge of the different methods of sending a message _their_ way. “But it looked like a modified Iris message, it certainly don’t seem like the usual we use.”

Karolina stared at her thoughtfully. “I haven’t tried doing an Iris message yet but I know that you need a rainbow and golden drachma for it to work,” then she tilted her head as if considering something and her eyes widened. “Do you think it activated because…” her voice lowered, “Well, because we’re- I’m… I’m gay?”

Nico burst to a soft laughter and shook her head. “Because the pride flag is a rainbow? No, I don’t think it works that way. If it did, then every gay demigod with a golden drachma will be able to send an Iris message.”

“Oh,” Karolina also laughed. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

“I think-” Nico paused.

_Apollo. Crystal goblet. Golden liquid._

“And he said that science was crazy,” Nico murmured to herself.

“What?” Karolina leaned down to peer on her face.

“It’s my dad,” Nico tried to explain. “You remember this flower used to be a crystal goblet, and since he has control over light, bending it is child’s play to him. He used the goblet to create a rainbow by light refraction. As for the golden drachma, you saw him drinking something like a gold liquid – except that he wasn’t drinking it and it was actually molten drachma for the goddess Iris.”

_The god of art and of lame tricks._

“Wow,” even Karolina looked amused. “He actually went that far.”

“Yeah, I didn’t even know he had that kind of creativity in him,” Nico scowled, she felt tricked. “Uh, I don’t think you’d want this flower anymore…”

“No way,” Karolina grinned crookedly and shook her head. “It could still be recording or something. We don’t know how much gold he used.”

“Yeah, and um…” Nico cleared her throat uneasily. “I guess there goes my explanation? Or should I still explain?”

“No need, it was clear enough,” Karolina took out the paper swan from her pocket and handed it to Nico. “I believe this belongs to you.”

“No, keep it.” Nico refused to take it from her.

“It’s fine, it wasn’t meant for me anyway,” she grabbed Nico’s free hand and put the swan on her palm. “You can just write a new one for me, I’d like that.”

“I will, yeah,” Nico’s fingers closed around the swan but K’s hand still lingered on her wrist. “And um, I was thinking-” she stared down on Karolina’s hand on her lower arm, her nail polish of pink and gold looked really nice. “Do you want to go canoeing with me on the lake later?”

Karolina smile was bright once again. “You’re not worried I might jump in the water?”

Nico lifted her eyes and grinned back. “I’ll still save you.”

“Sure,” Karolina bit her lower lip and nodded slowly. “So, meet you later?”

“Later…” the hand that was on her wrist softly caressed her skin before leaving her and Nico tried to ignore the sensation that Karolina’s touch sent spreading to her body.

+

With some odd hours she has left to kill – figuratively. Nico decided to tackle another thing that was bothering her to no end, she’s going to see one of her closest friends at the camp, the one who shared the other half of her ancestry. The dark half.

Raven – the gloomy and enigmatic head counselor of Hecate’s cabin – lazily ran her fingers through her midnight purple hair that fell straight down just above her shoulders. She was wearing her usual dark outfit which was a figure-hugging dress with too much lace and straps complete with a black silk choker on which a small onyx ankh pendant was hanging from – Nico was sure that the ankh pendant held considerable magic and Raven could seldom be seen without it.

“Nico…” Raven smiled at her welcomingly – when the head counselor found out about Nico’s origin and Hecate’s connection to her when she first came to the camp, she made sure that the whole Cabin 20 was ready to accept Nico as their own in case the other campers deemed her _too_ _dark_ for Apollo’s. And it was then that she was made as an honorary member of Cabin 20.

“Don’t smile, you’ll ruin your image,” Nico teased her and briefly hugged Raven. Although they see each other during meals and training, they haven’t had a private conversation lately.

“There’s a rumor in the camp that the day you smile is the day the world ends.”

“Too late, then,” Raven winked at her, and looped her arm around Nico’s as they strolled toward the woods. “Welcome to the apocalypse. There’s the road to the underworld, everyone please fall in line.”

“Hmmn, apocalypse. Must be Wednesday,” Nico chuckled good-naturedly as they continued their idle walk.

Raven pulled a deep breath as they entered the rich grove of trees. “So tell me, to whom do I need to send my thanks for this meeting?”

“How about you thank me?” Nico said as they walked further into the deeper part of the forest. Hecate’s children have always felt more comfortable in the dark than the bright sunlight and Raven preferred to have their talks inside the North woods.

_The dark kept secrets better than the light._

“You know, as much as you love spending time with me, you don’t make it a hobby,” Raven replied, her dark eyes glinted in the shadows.

Nico could feel the low thrumming of power and magic flowing underneath Raven’s flesh. Hecate has also blessed her generously – whether more or less than Nico, they didn’t know. They haven’t tried sparring against each other, in the magical way at least. But Nico was aware that Raven already had a reputation even before she attended Camp Half-Blood.

Nico’s eyes were drawn to the ankh hanging from Raven’s neck. “I’ve always wondered about the ankh,” she commented as a way of starting a conversation. “In the sense that it’s Egyptian in origin, not Greek. But you don’t seem to mind the difference.”

“It is the faith of the believer that powers the object, not the other way around.” Raven touched the pendant with her free hand and smiled at Nico. “Without my belief in it, whether it may be a cross or an ankh or a pentacle, it’s useless. I just picked the ankh because I liked the Egyptian myths and it annoys the hell out of Hecate.”

Nico laughed softly and a bit cautiously, praying to the other gods that Hecate was not listening to their conversation.

“The object might be Egyptian, but the power stored inside it is mine,” Raven continued, glancing briefly at her companion. “Same principle applies to your little feather. You probably wasn’t aware but it didn’t have a magic of its’ own, you’re the one feeding it with your power.”

Nico furrowed her brows in curiosity. “You mean it wasn’t really a Phoenix feather?”

“You believed it was a Phoenix feather so it’s acting like a Phoenix feather,” Raven explained patiently. “It could be a feather of a chicken for all we know but your belief changed it and made it more magical.”

“So Hecate tricked me into thinking it came from a Phoenix,” Nico groaned in feigned annoyance. “My whole life was a lie.”

“I don’t know,” Raven shrugged and lifted a brow. “It probably came from a different firebird of another culture entirely, the Greeks didn’t have the sole copyright of the idea of a firebird anyway. Personally, I prefer the Bennu of Heliopolis.”

Nico was silent, all she could think of was _Oh gods, and I told Karolina it was a Phoenix’s feather._

“Now that the mandatory small talk is done, it’s time for the main one,” Raven released Nico’s arm and leaned against a large tree trunk, intently staring at Apollo’s daughter. “Why did you want to meet?”

“I needed an advice,” Nico didn’t have time to beat around the bushes anymore, she crossed her arms and faced the other girl. “I had a vision, there was a battlefield and… someone died.”

“Prophecies aren’t exactly my forte,” Raven frowned at her doubtfully. “Have you talked to your dad about it?”

“No,” Nico absently scratched a mosquito bite on her arm. “It wasn’t exactly a prophecy because I didn’t have the urge to spill the words in a poetic or riddling rhymes. I just spaced out and I saw it happen. I felt it.”

_And it hurt._

Raven was thoughtful for at least a minute, her ankh pendant carefully held between her thumb and forefinger.

“Like a peek to the future?” she finally asked after the silence that seemed to stretch for an eternity to Nico. “What exactly did you see?”

Nico inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, trying to pull the memory back from the deepest parts of her brain where she decided to bury it.

As she stood still and let her mind wandered freely to the vision, the shadows of the trees seemed to expand and became even darker, heavy mists sluggishly creeped underfoot. The air grew colder, Raven’s pendant glowed and her eyes were hungry as she stared, unblinking.

“People fighting, smoke and fire, screaming, the ground was overflowing with blood, dark skies,” Nico choked on the torrent of images flooding behind her eyelids, emotions welled up beneath her chest, she swallowed loudly.

“Death.”

“You?”

“No…” Nico whispered in reply. It would have been much simpler if it was her instead.

“Someone you love?”

_I don’t know yet._

“Someone you care about?”

_Definitely._

“What did you feel in the vision?”

Nico fought to breathe the word out. “Pain…”

_She was so pale, and so beautiful._

“Longing, sadness, fear,” Nico didn’t know that trickle of tears ran down her cheeks and dripped to her mouth. “Regret.”

“Why do you think it happened?”

“I think-” Nico tasted the salt and bitterness on her lips as the vision in her mind became clearer. “I think it was my fault.”

_Karolina. I beg you. Don’t leave me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 things why I chose the origami swan rather than the more 'popular' origami crane:  
> \- the swan is one of Apollo's symbol  
> \- swans can be gay (hello, reddit users)
> 
> Next chapter we will have the other Runaways kids ;)  
> Happy Weekend!


	6. The Canoe Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> K and Nico's date in the lake, and uh-oh, some kids might be in trouble.

 

“What should I wear!?”

The question that _every_ girl going to a date had probably asked for the billionth time. And even a demigod such as Karolina wasn’t an exception.

“It’s a canoe-in-the-lake kind of date,” Julie pointed out as she, Vanessa, and Zendaya dumped a trunkful of outfits in varying styles and colors on her bunk. “I think the location limits the choices on what you could wear.”

“There’s a lot you can choose from, though,” Vanessa plucked a strapless cocktail dress of deep red from the pile and held it in front of Karolina’s body, tilting her head as she considered the fit. “This looks nice.”

“We meant appropriate clothing, Van,” Julie quipped and snatched the dress from Vanessa’s hand. “Imagine her wearing this and paddling on the lake. So ridiculous.”

“And I think she should also match Nico’s, and knowing her it would be something black topped with a leather jacket,” Zendaya threw Karolina a glance when the latter had also started to choose from the heap of clothes.

“And a bikini.”

Three pairs of eyes swerved to Vanessa’s direction; one was expressing confusion, another was of suspicion, and the last one was brimming with a warning that looked like: _one more word and I swear I will choke you._

“What…”

Karolina paused inspecting a dark grey tank top with a rock band’s logo printed on it. “Why would I need a bikini? We’re not going swimming, at least I don’t think we are.”

“You know, the lake is full of water, and canoes aren’t really very safe. The boat might tip off balance accidentally, and accidentally you might fell in the water,” Vanessa was putting on one of her very best neutral faces but the other three knew her too well to believe her innocence. “I’m just saying accidents could happen… accidentally, of course.”

“I see the secret winks, Van,” Karolina gently chided her sister and went back to her rock band tank top, she was thinking of what to pair it with. She has decided on something casual and comfortable.

“I wasn’t even blinking!” Vanessa denied, her eyes were wide and her brows were too far up her forehead they’d have completely left her face if they were a little higher. “I wasn’t blinking for the last five minutes!”

“That’s why they’re called secrets,” Julie muttered impatiently, she threw a pleated skirt at Vanessa’s direction which the other one dodged expertly. “And anyway, I think Nico have enough power to turn you into a frog if you try to crash their date.”

Vanessa shrugged as she picked a shirt that had fallen to the floor. “I don’t mind.”

“You don’t mind getting turned to a frog?” Zendaya chuckled in disbelief. “Are you being serious, Vanessa?”

“Then I could be a frog princess,” Vanessa explained and just nonchalantly took off her shirt to try on another shirt from the pile, her voice was muffled behind the fabric. “I’ll just wait for someone to kiss me and we’d fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after.”

“You and your fantasy world, I’m honestly impressed,” Julie rolled her eyes in sarcasm as Vanessa turned to a life-sized mirror on the wall and checked the fit of the shirt.

Karolina and Zendaya glanced at each other at the same and both shrugged, ignoring the two girls who had begun their regular hourly bickering.

“What do you think of this skirt?” Z handed Karolina a denim skirt with simple embroideries of vines and leaves on the hem. “Top it up with a brocade bomber jacket, maybe?”

“Could work,” K grinned and pressed the length of the skirt against her body, it ended on the middle of her thighs. She set aside the clothes that she had chosen and proceeded to discuss accessories with her head counselor.

“You’re gonna use your hands a lot – use her hands for the canoe paddles, Vanessa, get your head out of the gutter – so no elaborate rings or bracelets. Cute earrings and a necklace, instead?”

Karolina nodded thoughtfully as she pictured her image in her mind. Not bad, she smiled to herself. But will Nico approve?

+

“Wow,” Nico didn’t even try to hide her admiration when she saw Karolina appeared on the edge of the lake. “You look great. I mean, you always do. I like the top.”

“Thanks,” Karolina smiled self-consciously and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear then smoothed her skirt.

Nico gestured to a canoe just big enough to accommodate two people and the quiet lake beyond the shore, the half-moon overhead casted a faint path of silver above the water’s surface. “Are you sure you still want to go boating? I mean, you look so nice. I don’t want to ruin your outfit.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Karolina said, chuckling. “Don’t worry about the outfit. I can totally go canoeing in these.”

“Alright,” Nico shrugged and handed her a paddle then both pushed the canoe toward the small lapping waves on the edge of the gravelly ground. She let Karolina go in first and then followed her. It took them awhile to get to the middle of the lake because the canoe kept spinning around when their paddling go out of sync.

The early night was solemn, the fire in the pavilion burned bright, the shadows behind it danced and they could see the silhouettes of the campers against the light. A few stars in the sky blinked like fireflies.

“So, how’s my poetry going?” Karolina asked casually when they finally stopped paddling and just let the light breeze rock the canoe to the rhythm of the night.

“It’s going well…” Nico paused in uncertainty, glancing at Karolina to check her reaction.

“You don’t seem sure,” the blonde frowned but it was plain to see that she was just acting.

Nico smirked, daring her. “You didn’t set a deadline,” she pointed out.

“How about tomorrow?”

“Okay, now that’s unreasonable,” Nico complained, she put a hand in the water. It was cold. “Art takes time.”

“Two weeks, then?” Karolina suggested, also putting a hand in the water.

Nico replied with a teasing smile. “I’ll give it to you tomorrow.”

“Are you serious,” Karolina laughed, she scooped some water with her palm and flicked it to Nico’s direction. The latter shrieked in surprise and Karolina laughed harder.

‘Stop doing that,” Nico tried to look menacing but Karolina just grinned playfully. “Fine, keep doing that and you’ll get wet.”

“Okay, okay,” the daughter of Aphrodite yielded and put both hands up. “Do you like being a head counselor?” she asked out of the blue after a minute passed. This girl is so random sometimes.

“Ummm,” Nico considered the question for at least a minute before answering. “Yes, I guess so. There’s a lot of responsibility, definitely, and you gotta make sure everyone in the cabin is included in everything because we don’t want anyone feeling left out. I have to plan a lot, sort out petty fights, enforce the rules,” she smirked at Karolina at this. “But when Will first asked me to handle the cabin, I thought being a head counselor was beyond my capabilities, now I realized I actually like it.”

“Your brother, Will,” Karolina asked again. “He’s dating Nico di Angelo, right?”

Nico arched a brow but nodded. “Yes, the _other_ Nico…”

“You think Will favored you because his boyfriend’s name is also Nico?”

Nico shrugged, not sure where Karolina was taking the conversation. “I don’t really know, probably, unconsciously.”

“He’s so lucky though,” Karolina beamed wistfully, side-eyeing her companion. “He’s dating a Nico. I wonder what’s it like to date a Nico.”

Nico snorted, she looked amused. “Well, Nicos in general are pretty unpredictable, the demigod ones even more so. We are also kind of weird.”

“I’m fine with weird. I like weird,” Karolina shrugged, the light of the moon was making her eyes appear sort of silvery blue and Nico found herself just staring. She slipped her hand in the pocket of her jacket out of habit and her hand closed around the Phoenix feather, seeking for its warmth and familiar comfort she’d known for years.

Her feelings were very mixed, and there was a lingering doubt nagging at the back of her mind everytime she looked at Karolina. But what Raven told her back in the woods struck her.

_“The future will come whether we like it or not, don’t waste time worrying about it. What matters the most is the present. Live in it.”_

And at the present, what – _who_ – mattered was here, in the canoe with Nico. 

“Do you also wonder what it is like to date a Karolina?” the blonde asked when Nico didn’t speak for a while.

Nico smiled at her, the comforting heat of the object in her hand filled her with glow.

“I do now.”

Karolina was obviously taken aback with the honesty in Nico’s voice, she probably didn’t expect it. She didn’t know what to reply and instead lowered her gaze and it fell on the rippling surface of the lake. The silence that filled the gap of their conversation was almost overwhelming.

“Of course, I don’t know what Karolinas are like,” Nico said casually, trying to pull back the easy ambiance from before. “You think I should ask Z or Julie?”

The mention of her cabinmates perked Karolina up, she raised a hand to her mouth to cover a laugh when a semi-hilarious scene from her memory tickled her.

“What’s funny?” Nico asked when she noticed Karolina was trying to suppress her giggles.

“I just remembered something Vanessa said back in the cabin,” she explained, still smiling. Her courage came back and she was determined not to get flustered again. “Julie thought you got enough magic to turn someone to a frog, and Vanessa said she wouldn’t mind being one.”

“I haven’t tried that yet,” Nico’s expression showed like she had not considered turning a person to an amphibian before. “I think most would find it inconvenient, especially if they’re not expecting it.”

“Vanessa just watched The Frog Prince far too many times, she thinks that a simple kiss will break the spell.”

“Ah,” Nico replied with a knowing grin. “The famous spell-breaking kisses from the fairy tales, like with Aurora and Snow White?”

Karolina faked a dramatic gasp, even clutching her chest with both hands for emphasis. “Did you just imply that you’ve read fairy tales or am I hallucinating?”

“Shocker, right?” Nico laughed and Karolina almost wished for a camera to capture the moment. It felt so special. “But yes, someone tricked me into reading them. They said that the prince died in the end so…” she shrugged nonchalantly.

“So, let’s just say that if I – accidentally or something – get turned to a frog,” Karolina said slyly, holding Nico’s stare. “Will you kiss me to break the spell?”

Nico bit the corner of her lower lip and cocked her head, “You know, if you want a kiss from me, you could just ask. You don’t need to tempt a witch to turn you to a frog or to any kind of critter.”

“It was a hypothetical question! I didn’t mean it for real.”

“Yes,” Nico nodded slowly, not missing a beat. “If – hypothetically – you get turned to a frog in some twisted fairy tale, I’ll kiss you to break the spell. Although let’s be real, if we were in a fairy tale, you’d be the princess and I’d be the witch.”

Karolina’s teasing smile grew even wider. “So, if you are the witch, will you turn me to a frog?”

“Gods,” Nico sighed in increasing exasperation. “You know, if you don’t stop asking me questions like these, I might actually try to.”

“Fine, fine,” Karolina chuckled, and then she cleared her throat uneasily. “Just one more question, promise.”

Nico gazed at her for a while and then nodded, “Okay.”

Karolina looked down shyly and a faint blush colored her cheeks. “If I ask for a kiss now, will you kiss me?”

Nico didn’t answer right away and embarrassment has started to slowly rise in Karolina’s system but she was forced to look up when the boat rocked gently and Nico’s shadow blocked the light of the moon. The daughter of Apollo was now leaning over her, so close that she could almost see the roots of her eyelashes and the dark rings of her irises.

Karolina instinctively held her breath in anticipation.

_Oh. My. Gods._

“Do I need to answer the question,” Nico’s whisper was hot on her lips. “Or was it hypothetical?”

Karolina grinned nervously, she licked her lips. “It wasn’t hypothe-”

She closed her eyes at the same time when Nico closed the tiny distance between them. The kiss was sweet, and soft, and warm.

Her heart pounded loudly in her ears when Nico’s teeth slightly grazed her lower lip and playfully nipped it. Karolina felt and tasted the texture of Nico’s smeared lipstick on her tongue and she suddenly wanted more, snaking her arms around Nico’s waist and not giving a damn if the canoe was now having a hard time balancing the sudden change of weight.

“Hmmmn,” Nico murmured deeply against her mouth after a while, she lifted her head to part their faces and slowly ran a thumb along the length of Karolina’s lips, in retort the latter pretended to bite her finger and Nico giggled, pulling her thumb quickly out of the way.

_She giggled. Gods._

Karolina didn’t know how to contain the amount of bliss coursing through her veins at the moment. She felt like exploding out of giddiness and the thousands of frenzied butterflies in her stomach.

She wondered if she could freeze time and live in this hour forever.

_If only._

Nico stopped her train of thoughts when she lowered her lips to Karolina’s again – and K didn’t know what happened, did Nico shift her body or did they lean in to one side far too much – and the next thing she knew, they were both in the cold water, gasping and sputtering.

“Oh my gods,” Nico quickly brushed away strands of hair from her face and looked at Karolina, eyes wide with confusion. “What in Tartarus happened?”

Karolina was trying her best to stay afloat but she was laughing too hard she could only manage keep her head above the surface. “I don’t know, I think the canoe tipped over.”

Nico also burst to a laughter, but being the responsible counselor that she was – even on a date – she righted the upside-down canoe and gathered the paddles that got thrown over with them and tossed them back, she then swam near Karolina and gently laid a palm against her cheek.

“Are you cold?” Nico’s eyes were filled with so much warmth that Karolina was sure even if the water was below the freezing point, she wouldn’t feel the cold at all.

_The cold never bothered us, anyway._

“Nope,” Karolina smiled and shook her head, then she leaned quickly and planted a brief kiss on Nico’s lips and did a backstroke after. “Race you to the shore!”

“Hey, unfair!” Nico tried her best to catch up but the other girl was already far up ahead.

“Come on, slowpoke!”

“You cheated!”

Karolina laughed as she took Nico’s arms and dragged her to the shore when the water was just below her waist. “Admit it, I’m a better swimmer.”

“Fine,” Nico stuck out her tongue at Karolina as a retort and the latter was again taken aback with the unexpected glimpse of her hidden childish side. “You win, but you also cheated so-”

They simultaneously turned their heads sharply to the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps – or rather, someone running to their direction in a hurry.

“Apollo’s bum, thank the gods I found you,” a camper from Cabin 7 emerged from the dark who Karolina recognized as one of the leaders in camp sing-alongs. She panted in front of them and rested her hands on her knees as she greedily inhaled air to fill her deprived lungs.

“Hayley, what’s up?” Nico tried to hide the urgency in her voice but Karolina could see that she was concerned.

The camper – Hayley – raised a hand, signaling to be given a minute to catch her breath. Then she straightened up and looked at them, her mouth hung open for a second when she realized that-

“You guys are wet.”

“Yes,” Nico replied matter-of-factly, not even bothering to release Karolina’s hand in her grip. “Why were you looking for me?”

“Oh yeah, um, one of Dionysus’ sons who just came back from strawberry deliveries saw a bunch of kids on the highway getting chased by monsters, they look like they’re heading towards the camp. I already told Silver to go fetch Chiron and Mr. D. We are not sure if these kids are demigods but we are absolutely sure that those monsters are dangerous,” Hayley narrated without even taking a breath.

Nico walked off to the direction of Thalia’s Pine, still wet and still holding Karolina’s hand, she motioned to Hayley to follow them.

“Have you told the other counselors?” she asked as they started a brisk jog. “Sofia? Bradley? Zendaya?” From Athena’s, Ares’, and Aphrodite’s respectively.

“The Hermes cabin is already spreading the news,” Hayley matched their increasing speed until all three were almost on full run.

When they neared the small hill where the pine was, a bunch campers met up with them, a few were holding weapons and most carried large torches. The head counselor of Athena’s cabin, Sofia, was already there, brandishing a gleaming shield and a spear.

“What’s the plan?” Nico asked the no-nonsense stately Athena camper with an actual Greek person for a father.

If Sofia saw that Nico was drenched to the bone and still grasping Karolina’s hand like they were glued together and cannot be parted, she didn’t comment on it. She instead pointed to the hill with the sharp end of her spear.

“Some of us who can fight will guard the borders and others will look for those lost kids. We need help with yours and Raven’s mists in case the kids are not demigods and we have to alter their memories. The rest will stay inside the camp.”

Karolina felt like she wasn’t really needed in the group of rescuers and her presence will just add to Nico’s distraction so she squeezed Nico’s hand and leaned to whisper in her ear. “I’ll go back to my cabin and change clothes, please be safe.”

“I will,” Nico turned and gave her a small kiss that landed in the corner of her mouth, when Karolina looked around, few kids were gawking at the scene but quick to avert their eyes. She smiled sheepishly and started the walk back to her cabin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't able to write in the other Runaways kids in this chapter, but you can already guess who those 'kids' the head counselors are gonna rescue.
> 
> Also yes, you bet your pretty asses that I included Hayley Kiyoko in my fic ;P
> 
> to AlexMG: sorry, I didn't watch Jessica Jones this week, but I will next week :D
> 
> HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!


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